Through a series of over 250 infographics, the research compiled by the media company presented data collected and analysed by its own team, as well as those from numerous validated third-party research sources.

“This State of Travel 2023 report is a positive report, but we want the industry to be clear-eyed about the persisting and upcoming challenges,” Skift proffered.

Last year was replete with “bumper performances” in some countries and sectors, with others experiencing a much slower rebound. However, problems with supply persist.

In the report, travel’s performance was analysed comprehensively and considered within the context of the global economy.

Domestic travel across the globe drove the recovery of the industry as a whole, and Skift’s data indicates that most countries are now on par with pre-pandemic levels. However, international travel has not yet made a full recovery, with performance tracking below 2019 levels.

Speaking with The PIE about 2023 trends in the tour sector, founder and CEO of Lingo Tours, Johan Schersten asserted that following the 2022 “bounce back” post-pandemic, 2023 offered increased “normality” for the travel industry.

“It would be fair to claim that 2022 was more ‘bouncy’ than a rebound, as it had some unpleasant surprises with failing aviation services and service providers that were often understaffed,” Schersten said.

However an increase in demand and suppliers’ reliability is ultimately reflected in “better experiences and happier travellers”, he suggested.

And while many travellers were keen to leave their masks and vaccination cards behind them post-pandemic, some pandemic-related behaviours have continued into 2023, according to Skift, such as the purchase of insurance, flexible bookings and flight booking windows.

In early 2023, the Middle East became the only region to experience a full recovery of international travel. In fact, several countries in the region became some of the fastest growing destinations for international arrivals, with UAE topping that list.

Skift terms the airline industry’s path to recovery “a work in progress”, with long-haul flights in particular down significantly.

According to the US National Travel and Tourism Office, while numerous Asian countries were some of the top visitors to the US in 2019, none of them have recovered.

“East Asian nations like Japan, China and South Korea have fallen dramatically. China saw the biggest decline with arrivals down 81% vs. pre-Covid levels,” NTTO states. However, with China being “the missing puzzle piece”, according to Skift, its reopening has sparked a global travel resurgence.

Skift compiled statements from CEOs of major airlines and accommodations companies, all of whom lauded the recovery in their sector, as well as in the industry as a whole.

“Our airline partners and suppliers continue to invest in young travellers”

Carlo Fabros, business development manager at Student Universe, lauded the commitment of industry leaders. “Our airline partners and suppliers continue to invest in young travellers as they see the long-term value they provide in our travel sector,” he told The PIE.

Globally, the accommodations sector has had a robust performance in 2023, particularly with alternative accommodations leading the recovery in Europe. The impact is similar in the LATAM region. Skift noted that “the accommodation sector has emerged as the star performer, overtaking 2019 levels by 30-32% in June 2023”.

Notably, the rebound has occurred despite the economic slowdown and fear of recession. Yet in an April 2023 survey conducted by Skift, rising inflation posed a risk to travel spending. In fact, when booking personal trips in the second quarter of 2023, 68% of respondents experienced higher travel prices versus in the same quarter of 2022.

And while only 8% said they deferred or cancelled their trip due to the increases, most respondents adjusted their plans, with the top three changes being spending less on food and activities, picking less expensive hotels and selecting less expensive flights.

The business sector has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels according to Deloitte’s 2023 corporate travel study. Experts predict that it may take until the end of 2024 or beyond for business travel to reach a full recovery.

Yet while nearly half of business travellers agree with this timeline, there are an equal number who believe business travel will never again reach pre-pandemic levels given the rise in video conferencing tools.

Many of the other significant consumer trends highlighted in the report revolved around the impact remote work has on travel. “As a result of greater flexibility around work, the blending of leisure and business travel has become more paramount,” according to Euromonitor.

India, US, UK, and Australia had the most “bleisure” travellers in the past year. Moreover, Euromonitor predicted that global spending by these travellers will more than double by 2027 versus 2021 figures.

While there has been a marked increase in luxury experiences with high carbon footprints, such as flying or sailing on private transportation, another competing trend that is emerging is a strengthened call for sustainability.

The World Travel and Tourism Council reported that of those it surveyed in 2023, 75% indicated a desire to choose sustainable travel in the future, 69% actively seek sustainable options and 59% have chosen some form of sustainable options in the past few years.

Skift noted that nearly half of its survey respondents paid extra for a more sustainable travel option in the past 12 months.

The post Travel sector must be “clear-eyed” about future appeared first on The PIE News.

The ISO 27001 and SOC 2 credentials show the company’s “commitment to safeguarding sensitive user information”, it said.

“Our priority is to safeguard the data we manage, ensuring it is used only for its intended purpose,” stated Tony Searle, chief information officer of guard.me International Insurance.

“We have implemented stringent access measures and provided comprehensive privacy and security training to all our employees, leaving no stone unturned in our commitment to preventing unauthorised access, disclosure, or misuse of data.”

“Our priority is to safeguard the data we manage”

In 2021, education was among the most-targeted industries for data breaches, while personal data including passport numbers and health details of some international students in Australia was stolen after insurance provider Medibank was hacked in October last year.

More recently, the Colorado Department of Higher Education in the US was the target of an attack in June.

guard.me said the two new certifications solidify the company’s position as “an industry benchmark for data protection and reinforces its commitment to safeguarding sensitive user information”.

It is promptly implementing legislative changes related to privacy, compliance and data security to ensure maximum protection for its clients, it added.

“This includes offering ID theft protection in every policy,” guard.me noted.

The company is also pursuing additional certifications as it creates a framework to manage data privacy.

The insurance provider has been very supportive of the Canadian higher education sector, donating to institutions such as Sheridan College on a number of occasions – including to create a Fund for International Musical Development – Niagara College, Centennial College and Georgian College.

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Published in July, the Global Student Living and College & University Business Officers report explores international students’ accommodation experiences, with a focus on students from China, India and Nigeria.

Compared with their domestic counterparts in the UK, international students are more likely to view accommodation as an important decision-making factor, it found, as it advised institutions to consider their housing options to meet demands from future students.

Surveying close to 43,000 students – including 15,180 international students – across the UK and Ireland, it identified that international students are twice as likely as UK students to prioritise living on their own.

However, it elaborated on the need to offer ‘sense of community’ for different cohorts of students.

“As global student mobility continues to rise, with well over 700,000 international students currently studying in the UK and Ireland, there are challenges in addressing the needs of a more diverse cohort of students overall, as well as specific international cohorts,” Jan Capper, CUBO executive director, said.

Chinese and Indian students fare better socially than those from Nigeria, the UK and Ireland, the report highlighted.

“There will be challenges in addressing the needs of an even more diverse profile of international students”

“Chinese students are much more likely than other groups to prioritise living alone or living with their friends,” the paper reads. They also rank kitchen size and facilities, technology/Wi-Fi and range and quality of amenities highly.

For Indian students – of which 2,333 were surveyed – kitchen size and facilities, bedroom and availability of communal spaces matter, it added.

Like other students, the 937 Nigerian students surveyed indicated that value for money was highly important. They would also pay more rent for improved bedroom space, amenities, communal spaces and design.

“Improved communal spaces are so important that they are a key driver of overall satisfaction for Nigerian students,” the report states.

They are less likely than others to say social events in their accommodation are good or very good, it noted, adding that they want more social events than other internationals and students from the UK.

Different student groups struggle in various areas meaning that wellbeing support needs continued prioritisation, the report says.

Homesickness is reported by Indian students at much higher levels than other student groups, while Indian and Nigerian students are more likely to report work and career-related struggles than those from the UK or China.

Chinese students are significantly more likely to say they are struggling with gaining the right skills than finding part-time work.

“Specific targeted support, particularly around homesickness, managing workload, budgeting and finding part-time work, may cut through to these groups more effectively,” the reports suggests.

While satisfaction is generally improving, students have increasingly high expectations, it continues.

An anticipated change in the mix of international means that accommodation will need to adapt, it suggests.

“Chinese students will remain an important market, but other sending countries are gaining prominence and there will be challenges in addressing the needs of an even more diverse profile of international students.

“Chinese students are more likely to prioritise living on their own entirely”

“The growing cohorts (India, Nigeria and others) tend to be significantly more price sensitive. They are also much more dependent on casual work to supplement their studies, and these markets are particularly vulnerable to changes in government policy on family visas and post-study working rights, both of which are now under attack.”

Institutions must consider the implications of their international recruitment strategies, maintain a diverse accommodation stock and “develop the agility to be able to respond and adapt service delivery to the student mix as it becomes more dynamic”, it recommends.

As institutions look to diversify their international student cohorts, they must consider “pro-active interventions” to allow students to find a ‘critical mass’ of other students like them – which “appears to have a strong positive effect”.

Individual institutions must understand the demand for different types of accommodation, the “future premium” that may realistically be achieved for studios, as well as the “adaptation and reprioritisation” of aspects of accommodation ‘experience’ to the future student profiles.

Chinese students are more likely to book accommodation through an education agent, while Indian and Nigerian students generally favour university websites.

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The research facility has produced some of the lowest temperatures on record and is an important part of Finland’s science and technology ecosystem. 

As refrigerators hum around the laboratory, a PhD student from New Zealand discusses his ongoing research into mechanical vibrations and quantum technology. 

“Finland is a nice place to study, definitely,” he says. “It’s not so popular just because it seems far away to some people.” 

While it may be a small and distant country to some, Finland has big ambitions when it comes to growing research hubs, like the one at Aalto, and cementing the country’s position as a science superpower. So much so that the government recently committed to spending 4% of GDP on research and development. 

But with a population of 5.5 million, realising these aspirations will rely on its ability to attract global talent, including students. Now, Finland’s universities are gearing up to play their part in supporting the country’s ambitious technology goals via international education. 

Finland is far from the only country hunting for talent. OECD countries are experiencing tight labour markets and low unemployment rates. In this context, countries are competing to attract skilled workers from abroad. 

Finland’s roadmap for education and work-based immigration was released in 2021 and set out how the country will attract skilled workers, students and graduates. 

Under former prime minister Sanna Marin, the country introduced an ambitious plan to triple the number of international students in Finland and for 75% of those students to remain in the country. 

“Now we are talking about attraction and retention”

“Before we were talking only about attraction, but now we are talking about attraction and retention,” says Hanna Isoranta, chief specialist at Study in Finland. 

Finland’s 25 universities are currently home to approximately 20,000 international students. Historically, encouraging these students to stay once they graduate has been a challenge, in part due to complex visa requirements.

This changed when, in 2022, the country simplified its residence permit program and extended its post-graduation jobseeker’s permit, allowing students who have completed a degree in Finland to stay in the country for two years. 

“It’s really attractive in the eyes of prospective students,” Isoranta says. This is reflected in the figures: the move immediately led to an increase in the number of students applying to study in the Scandinavian country from 32,000 in 2022 to 61,000 in 2023. 

But the language still poses a major barrier for graduates wanting to work in Finland. While larger companies may operate in English, the majority of the population communicate in Finnish, a notoriously tricky language to learn.  

“It’s not the easiest country to integrate into because of the language,” says Yuri Birjulin, international affairs and EU advocacy advisor at student union SYL. “To actually go into the job market, you need to learn domestic languages, mostly Finnish but also Swedish.” 

“It’s been a little bit bureaucratic to stay and get a job and I think it’s been a little bit not easy to get a job in local companies,” says Hannu Seristö, associate vice president of external relations at Aalto University. 

But things are changing, albeit slowly. 

“Language regulations relaxed and the overall attitude of the labour market sort of seems to be gearing towards… more positivity for internationals to be here,” says Markus Laitinen, head of international affairs at the University of Helsinki. 

While language barriers may be lessening, the cost of studying in Finland is becoming more of a hurdle for some potential international students. 

Under policies announced when the new coalition government formed in June, non-EU students will soon have to pay higher tuition fees. 

At the time, Universities Finland warned the decision will have a “negative impact” on opportunities to attract and teach international students. Those in the sector hope that generous post-work rights will balance the rising costs of studying in Finland. 

The country’s new government and its anti-immigration rhetoric has also raised concerns about how welcome international students will feel in the country. 

Laitinen predicts it could give Finland a reputation “for being anti-immigration that gets into the ears and eyes of the highly-skilled potential people”. 

Birjulin agrees: “That kind of anti-immigration attitude also reflects upon the general attitude of the society towards immigrants, and that also makes it harder for skilled labour to integrate and find a job and so forth.”

Whatever its rhetoric, the government has confirmed its intention to continue recruiting skilled workers, focusing on four priority countries: India, Philippines, Brazil and Vietnam.

For some markets, such as Vietnam, there is already a diaspora community in Finland, making recruitment easier. 

But others, such as Brazil, are “totally new”, says Isoranta. For these regions, marketing starts with establishing the basics – like where Finland is. Campaigns also focus on study-life balance, quality of life and post-study work options. 

This, they hope, will be enough to attract talent to support the country’s blossoming technology sectors. 

But those working in Finland’s universities are keen to emphasise the importance of international students beyond their contributions to the labour market.

“We don’t want to see students only as a tool for improving our demographic problem,” says Birjulin. “We see students as value in itself and they need to be supported in general, no matter whether there’s a skilled labour shortage or not.” 

Laitinen adds, “Those who leave, we should make sure we are in touch with them through alumni activities and others so that we don’t lose their potential, but only considering them valuable if they stay is a bit misleading.”

“I don’t think that we would consider international students as cash cows”

He is also adamant that, unlike in destinations such as Australia and the UK, international students will not be used to plug financial gaps. 

“I don’t think that we would consider international students as cash cows,” says Laitinen. 

“We see international students more as a quality aspect in increasing diversity in our classrooms.”

“The money is not the issue really, but diversity and providing different views in the classroom,” agrees Seristö. 

“It’s highly unlikely that you would get the best students or faculty from among five million people of Finland.”

The post How Finland is convincing international students to stay and work appeared first on The PIE News.

Speaking to The PIE News, Aw highlighted the necessity of recruiting international students in helping the US survive the upcoming enrolment cliff – as one of many strategies.

“We do believe there is ample capacity at US colleges and universities to welcome them,” Aw said, referring to the thousands of institutions who have fewer international students than the bigger campuses.

“However, institutions must be committed to creating the structures, systems and environment for international students to thrive for their recruitment of international students to be considered a wise decision.

“That starts with approaching international students with the right motivation and perspective – to see them as true assets to the campus, classroom and community on a multitude of levels – not to simply plug a gap in enrolment or tuition dollars,” she continued.

The issue of the enrolment cliff not only brings problems of demographic loss to the fore, but also revenue loss, as said by Ben Waxman of Intead in an earlier piece on the issue from The PIE.

Smaller colleges that have more difficulty attracting international students – due in part to the pull of those bigger institutions – can do more to recruit them, but cannot do it alone.

“We see real potential in a centralised national strategy for international education as a means to diversify the origin of international students in this country and their study destination within the US,” she said, referring to the strategy NAFSA has long been calling for.

But Aw also noted that this expansion needs to happen in tandem with a rise in HE professionals – especially those in international offices – to have the tools, knowledge and skills needed to be successful in recruiting.

“Part of the US appeal to international students is its multicultural society”

The ‘great resignation’ has taken place in the last few years across the US, Canada and the UK.

Aw also touched on the fact that diversity across the student body will allow institutions to better recruit international students. In light of the issues faced across states like Florida, where DEI initiatives are being rolled back, it is “so valuable”, she suggested.

“Part of the US appeal to international students is its multicultural society; they are not interested in being in an echo chamber once here.

“Further, we can’t lose sight of the importance of US domestic students and their own mobility in this equation.

“They should have access to an internationalised curriculum and education abroad opportunities for a campus culture to truly be one where international perspectives and experiences are widely shared and valued,” Aw added.

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Last year, Dutch minister for Education, Culture and Science, Robbert Dijkgraaf, told The PIE in an exclusive interview that the country was searching for an “optimal” number of international students, while he praised the role of student and researcher international exchanges.

Dijkgraaf has since urged public research and applied sciences universities in the country to halt the recruitment of international students.

On April 21 of this year, he wrote to the House of Representatives detailing “concrete measures” that are designed to “better control and manage the number of international students coming to the Netherlands”, in addition to “preserving and strengthening” the Dutch language.

Uninhibited flows of students leads to “overcrowded lecture halls, high workload for lecturers and a lack of accommodation, and puts pressure on the accessibility of study programs”, the minister said at the time.

However, Dijkgraaf has always maintained the importance of both Dutch students studying abroad and international students being able to study in the Netherlands. International students’ contribution to Dutch society and its knowledge economy, especially in growth sectors in technology, have also been emphasised often.

The government notes that the total 115,000 international students enrolled at institutions across the country in the 2021/22 academic year was 3.5 times as many as the 2005/06 figure. Figures currently indicate that international students represent 15% of total student numbers at Dutch universities.

However, the 6,000 international student growth in the most recent figures was the slowest level of growth for five years. Funding for the Dutch education internationalisation organisation Nuffic has already been considerably cut back, and its offices abroad – such as in Mexico, Brazil and China, and Russia, Vietnam, South-Africa and Korea – have been closed and backing for Holland Alumni Network officially came to an end in 2022.

Nuffic offices in India and Indonesia will continue to be open until the end of 2023.

The Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) reacted to the plan Dijkgraaf outlined saying initially that the legislation allowing universities to control the intake of international students at degree level was “welcome”.

It noted that Dijkgraaf’s proposal would be targeted, by permitting universities to set an enrolment quotas in specific degree program tracks. The quota would limit English-taught places while leaving Dutch language programs unrestricted.

Universities will be able to define maximum non-EEA student numbers for each degree program, in addition to an emergency enrolment quota if non-EEA applications are growing at an unsustainable level.

UNL added that several universities had indicated interest in the tools that would “enable them to manage student numbers more effectively”.

Examples include political science and psychology at the University of Amsterdam for a restriction on the number of students on a track that is taught in English, and Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology for a maximum number of non-EEA students, it said.

However, UNL president, Pieter Duisenberg, called on government to introduce a funding system that is “less dependent on student numbers and market share”.

“The minister is currently exploring the future of education and science in the Netherlands (through the Toekomstverkenning onderwijs en wetenschap). We hope that this will lead to a system that is better aligned with what is required in terms of both Dutch and international talent and that will make funding is less dependent on student numbers and market shares.

“The current funding system is a distribution model. It is a model that is not suited to the challenges of our time,” he said earlier this year.

UNL also noted that the minister is “keen to consult with research universities and universities of applied sciences over the finer details of the agreements”.

In an online consultation, which – along with the publication of the legislative proposal – UNL described as the most important update since the collapse of the government in early July, government is seeking responses to the bill on internationalisation in higher education.

Suggestions made so far are wide ranging. One response indicates that fewer international students taking flights to the Netherlands will be positive for a rapidly changing climate, calling for colleges and universities to take more responsibility in the environmental crisis.

Others suggest the policy is an attempt to “retreat within national borders”, while others highlight the importance of science being an “international affair” that is largely practiced in English.

Not all responses are negative, with some describing the bill as “well thought-out and actionable” or calling for a complete overhaul of Dutch higher education financing – a point raised by UNL.

Edwin van Rest, CEO and co-founder of Studyportals, said that rather than driving a “protectionist ideology”, government should be focusing on building capacity and attracting more international students that make “the perfect immigrants”.

“The proposal raises concerns regarding university autonomy and the burden of implementing various measures”

Nuffic told The PIE it is preparing its response to the proposals but is not yet ready to comment.

UNL acknowledges the pressure that increased international enrolments have brought over recent years, but emphasised the importance of the “international character of Dutch higher education”.

The country’s universities have been calling for more legal options to manage international student numbers at program level since 2018, a spokesperson told The PIE, such as an enrolment quota specifically for an English-language tracks.

The steering instruments in the proposal will “greatly assist study programs in controlling admissions, monitoring educational quality, and ensuring accessibility for Dutch students”, they said.

“However, the proposal raises concerns regarding university autonomy and the burden of implementing various measures. For example, we are particularly worried about the ministerial regulation governing exceptions for foreign-language education. Universities would prefer to take responsibility themselves to achieve a more balanced approach to internationalisation.”

• Simone Hackett from The Hague University of Applied Sciences and a member of the EAIE General Council has written an opinion piece on the bill. Read it here.

The post Netherlands: call for higher education funding rethink in ongoing international debate appeared first on The PIE News.

This is why the new bill proposed by the Dutch education ministry, aiming to effectively manage the number of international students coming to the Netherlands, should be abolished!

What is happening?

There have been heated discussions recently in the Netherlands around the growing influx of international students enrolled on English-taught bachelor and master programs.

Within the Dutch parliament several arguments have opposed the admission of international students and the number of English-taught programs on offer. There is a lack of overall housing, lecture halls are overcrowded, education quality is declining, the Dutch language deteriorating and Dutch students being outcompeted and pushed out of programs by international students, detractors say.

The debates have resulted in a decision to halt international student recruitment.

“International students only represent 15% of the total student population registered at Dutch universities”

Minister­­ of Education, Robert Dijkgraaf, has introduced the bill proposing universities have legal power and stricter (exception) rules for English-taught programs to give them control over policies related to language of instruction and student admissions.

The aim is to effectively reduce the number of English-taught courses on offer and manage the number of international students who come to the Netherlands.

Although regulation of international student admissions and the number of English-taught programs on offer could prove useful, in the Dutch media there is a total misrepresentation of what is actually happening and who is being affected.

 Should the bill be passed?

In its current state the bill should not be passed. More thought and research needs to be carried and a new bill drawn based on evidence and facts.

The purpose of the bill is to balance the influx of international students, but it needs to be clarified that this should only apply to research universities and only to specific courses at specific universities.

Additionally, the ‘Dutch language is deteriorating’ argument due to the increase in international programs is a fallacy.

The Netherlands – and the world – is becoming more multicultural whether people like it or not. English is the world’s lingua franca for business and science and I suggest that the actions under this point should be abolished.

Most Dutch universities want their graduates to develop intercultural competencies to be successful and offering courses in English provides institutions with a competitive edge to attract diverse talent among both students and academics.

Even so, the majority of programs on offer are still offered in the Dutch language.

The influx of students only affects certain programs that are popular among students seeking to study in English. Those programs are only offered in certain universities of the Netherlands.

International students only represent 15% of the total student population registered at Dutch universities.

Not everyone is aware of these facts or either has or wants the full story.

Headlines or statements around the Dutch language being threatened or Dutch students being pushed out can lead to anti-international student attitudes.

This narrative and actions to ‘eradicate’ the English language from Dutch higher education by capping programs and enforcing the Dutch language, definitely veers toward anti-foreigner, national protectionism and xenophobia, i.e. the ‘let’s make the Netherlands great again’ message.

There are also worries that with fewer international programs offered, the bill could result in fewer international lecturers at universities who bring insight and perspectives from abroad and train graduates to fill labour shortages.

I fear that if the recruitment of international lecturers is stopped, it will have a knock-on effect on the number of skilled graduates each university produces in key sectors, such as ICT and technology, health and education.

Discussion around academic entry requirements to Dutch programs has also been neglected in this debate.

To fully understand the problems the Netherlands is facing, more questions need to be asked and answered, clarity and transparency on the situation (supported by evidence and facts rather than one-sided selective information) needs to be provided by both the government and covered by the media.

The majority of bachelors are offered in Dutch

When government and media speak about internationalisation, they only refer to one form – that is international student recruitment in programs taught entirely in English.

In 2022/23, there were 122,287 international students enrolled at publicly funded universities, accounting for only 15% of all students in Dutch higher education.

The majority of university bachelor’s programs are still offered in the Dutch language

The government also fails to communicate that 72% of international students studying at universities in the Netherlands come from the EU. Neighbouring Germany tops the origin country list with 22,700 students, followed by Italy (7,600 students) and Romania (6,700 students).

Under EU law, students from EU countries have the same rights and access to Dutch education as Dutch students. This means that Dutch universities cannot refuse to accept these students or implement different admission policies for them.

“The majority of university bachelor’s programs are still offered in the Dutch language”

It is important to clarify that the rising number of international student has been reported to mostly affect the country’s 13 public research universities, and not universities of applied sciences, of which there are 43.

With Germany the most common country of origin for international students, we see universities close to the German-Dutch border – such as in Maastricht and Groningen – with higher numbers of international students, especially from Germany. This is logical and natural given the close proximity between the two countries.

Specific English-taught programs, for example psychology courses, at research universities face the biggest problems, but some other English-taught masters programs receive very few or no international students despite being taught in English

Why do other EU countries not experience the same problem?

Ireland, Germany and The Netherlands reportedly offer the highest number of English-taught bachelor and master courses in Europe. Germany offers free tuition and Ireland’s tuition fees are similar to the Netherlands, but why does the Netherlands seem to be the only country that has an influx of international students?

In the case of Ireland, one reason could be the competitive, points-based entry requirements.

For EU applicants, an average of 10 in the Dutch VWO is equivalent to 600 points. To be admitted to physiotherapy, a student must gain 589 points – equivalent to an average of a nine in a Dutch qualification. These entry levels are extremely high for Irish students, never mind Dutch students.

It’s rare for Dutch student to score an average of a nine or 10 in secondary school, and it could explain why the Netherlands has seen an influx of Irish students enrolling in English-taught courses, such as physiotherapy.

In Germany, entry levels tend to be similar to the Netherlands. Germany experienced approximately a 30.9% increase in international students between 2014 and 2019, and a rise of 37% from 2014 to 2022.

Yet, in contrast to the Netherlands, Germany sees international students as an asset to society and the economy. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has also recommended that the German government put in place a strategy to double the retention of international students by 2030.

Threat to the Dutch language

Several critics say that international student increases and English-taught programs are putting pressure on the the Dutch language. According to a government report, Het Beleidskompas, there was a mere 9% increase in the number of English-taught programs on offer – this 9% is putting pressure on the Dutch language within education and science overall, it suggested.

This is hard to believe, especially when the increase is seen only within specific programs, and only within certain research universities.

The president of the Board of directors, Geert ten Dam, at Amsterdam University was one of the first to raise the alarm bells on how the growing number of international students is a threat to Dutch students.

She has argued that Dutch students are being outcompeted by students from abroad. She also said that, “There may come a point when you say: you have to learn Dutch if you want to work or study here. We’re not there yet, but I can imagine it.”

Vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, has responded that the “problem with our Dutch language is not the fact that in higher education we use English to communicate, it is that we neglect to educate our children at a very early age on speaking, reading and listening to Dutch very well”.

The Dutch government recently launched an online consultation on the internationalisation bill. The debate will no doubt continue.

About the author: Simone Hackett is senior lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and a member of the EAIE General Council for the 2022–2024 term. 

The post Internationalisation in the Netherlands: a misrepresentation appeared first on The PIE News.

The new numbers are expected to see the total number of Africans in Russian universities on state scholarships rise to more than 10,000 in 2024. An estimated 6,000 are currently benefiting from the bursaries and enrolled in universities across the Russian Federation.

In what is turning out to be a strategy to place education at the core of its cooperation with Africa in the face of increased international isolation over the war against Ukraine, the scholarships announced President Vladimir Putin, will see the number of Africans studying in the country grow to nearly 40,000 with 35,000 already studying in the country.

“Training of skilled personnel has always been and remains a traditional area of Russia-Africa cooperation,” Putin told a gathering that included African heads of state during the Second Summit and Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum last week.

“Nearly 5,000 African students are studying at Russian universities, and this number is growing every year.

“The quota for African students financed from the federal budget has increased by 150% over the past three years and will exceed 4,700 people in the next academic year,” he added.

The country also plans to open campuses of ‘leading’ Russian universities in African countries. Besides teaching of Russian language, proposed consortiums for academic and research cooperation between the two countries will come under the framework of the Russian-African Network University, in what could be a new way of using education to fight international isolation.

“An agreement on the establishment of the Russian-African consortium of technical universities, the Subsoil Resources of Africa, was signed at St Petersburg Mining University on July 26,” he disclosed at the high level event.

“It provides for the joint training of professionals for the mineral resources sector, and I regard this as an extremely important and interesting area for cooperation.”

At the same time, Russia will continue to help African countries develop their system of higher education as well vocational training, train teachers, mentors and technical personnel for schools and colleges, he continued.

“I regard this as an extremely important and interesting area for cooperation”

Additionally, “joint schools” will be established for which “adapted teaching aids based on a combination of Russian and African national education programs are being prepared”, he further noted.

Even more important and in a major step to boost Russian as an international language in Africa, the country was planning on opening Russian schools in Africa where a number of subjects will be taught in Russian.

“I am confident that the implementation of projects such as the study of Russian and the introduction of Russia’s high educational standards will create the best foundation for our continued mutually beneficial and equal cooperation,” he continued.

In 2024, he added, an international Russian language organisation will begin operating, and will invite all countries interested in the language and culture to join.

According to Valery Falkov, Russia’s minister of Science and Higher Education, over 310,000 qualified specialists from the continent have been trained in Russia “during the history of cooperation” with Africa.

Currently, the number of scholarships for Africans had grown from 1,700 in 2020 and will stand at 4,700 by next year, the minister elaborated at a session of the event.

According to Paul Gundani, vice chancellor of the Zimbabwe Open University, there was no reason why Russian was not one of the popular languages in Africa, and universities in the Southern African country will start teaching Russian.

The time had come to develop the study of the Russian language in African universities as a first step, then develop joint scientific projects, and strengthen the program to support African students in Russian universities and send more students to study there, said Victor Kalunga Tshikala, rector of the University of Kalemie, Democratic Republic of Congo.

A total of 51 agreements focused on education and science were also signed at the event signifying a deepened education cooperation with Africa in the future.

Russia has been on an aggressive drive for African students over the past four years that has seen numbers more than double, despite deaths of two African students killed fighting for it in Ukraine.

The post Scholarships for Africans in Russia grow by 150% appeared first on The PIE News.

The Alliance promotes the power of international exchange, spearheads advocacy efforts on behalf of members and offers a variety of professional development opportunities.

Executive director Mark Overmann led the discussion with guest speakers Maureen Manning, vice president of strategy and insight at The PIE, and Jill Welch, senior policy advisor at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and featured columnist for the “Jill on the Hill” policy update in The PIE News.

Regarding overall global trends in international student mobility, Manning addressed the topic from a historical global perspective, noting that regions such as the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and some European countries have long been popular destinations for international students, and still maintain significant appeal.

“However current trends in international student mobility are being increasingly influenced by factors such as changes in immigration policies, political climates and economic conditions,” Manning asserted.

She noted that the resultant impact of the pandemic is still being realised. Moreover, she said in regions such as China, “the lingering effect of the pandemic, coupled with geopolitical tensions, have complicated the rebound”.

“We still have fewer international students than we used to have”

In terms of future trends, Manning indicated that many stakeholders are paying close attention to Saudi Arabia as well as countries in the LATAM region as potential partnerships, collaborations and recruiting efforts in those areas proliferate.

In addressing mobility trends for students studying in the US, Welch referred to it as a “mixed picture”.

“When you look at the data in the last Open Doors survey, which captured part of the recovery, you see some increases. But we still have fewer international students than we used to have,” Welch said, adding that this data predates the pandemic.

A positive trend she highlighted is that many university presidents maintained their commitment to international education during and after the pandemic, noting the increase in membership of the Presidents’ Alliance specifically.

Other encouraging signs mentioned were rising numbers of attendees at key conferences and events in the sector, the joint statement of principles and the recent addition of international education to the export strategy.

The concept of a national international education strategy was woven throughout the conversation as the speakers referenced countries that have successfully orchestrated strategies, as well as the challenges of not having a coordinated effort at the federal level.

“This has been on the agenda for a variety of international education and exchange organisations but is very difficult,” said Overmann.

And while he said he often hears stakeholders call for a national strategy based on those of other countries, he questioned the appropriateness of comparisons as the political context in the US greatly differs to those of many of its competitors.

Trends in visa denials was also discussed in depth during the conversation, in particular, those in the sub-Saharan Africa region.

Manning argued that reasons behind these high denial rates have been a subject of much debate and speculation. She noted that potential factors contributing to high denial rates include concerns related to visa overstays, which is when students remain in the US beyond the duration of their authorised stay.

She noted that many students from sub-Saharan Africa who have spoken with The PIE about their visa denials believed the result was due to concerns over their intention to return home after completing their studies.

Welch added that in many areas of the global south, visa denials have a true human impact, and while previously studied more anecdotally, a new report from Presidents’ Alliance and Shorelight has tackled the issue from a more data-driven approach.

Manning said, “While visa decisions are ultimately made by individual consular officers, and each case is assessed on its individual merits, broader political contexts may influence decisions or perceptions about those decisions.”

Overmann said this idea tracks with experiences certain Alliance members are having with J-1 visa issuance in countries such as Turkey and the Dominican Republic, among others. “But details and data are scarce, which makes it very hard to address the issue.”

Welch underscored that the term “overstay” is sometimes misused synonymously with “non-return”. As such, she said overstay rates are inflated and that there is not an effective way to measure non-returns.

Overmann agreed, noting that while the bureau of consular affairs sets broad policy, “individual posts are given much discretion and latitude for their decisions, which makes it very difficult for advocates to drive systemic change to visa issuance trends”.

“Now we have a much more polarised Congress”

“Our immigration system is outdated and needs to be modernised, and there is broad bipartisan agreement on that,” Welch added.

“But now we have a much more polarised Congress. What that means for us is that we need to educate our congressional delegations. We need to articulate what the problem is and what we need to see.”

One suggestion Welch offered was that the number of green cards be expanded, even beyond STEM, noting that it is not just STEM fields that drive the economy. Just this week, NAFSA also called for the US to provide a “direct path” to green cards for international graduates that have employers willing to sponsor them.

Regardless of the conditions advocated for, however, she emphasised the importance of joining together in alliances in addressing immigration reform. “If you are not at the table, you’re on the menu,” she cautioned.

In closing, panellists agreed that it is critical to continually evaluate immigration policies and consider the global competition for international students. And that by staying responsive to student needs and global trends, the US can maintain its position as a top choice for international education.

The post Mobility trends for US international students a “mixed picture” appeared first on The PIE News.

Guidelines from the Council for the Creation of Future Education in Japan mentions that there will be more “cooperation with companies” to help graduates from certain vocational schools “demonstrate their specialised knowledge”. 

“We have newly created a system to certify high-quality vocational schools, and international students who have completed accredited schools.

“We will flexibly respond to changes to the status of residence… and treat them in the same way as international students who have graduated from universities,” the proposal read. 

A representative from the Higher Education Bureau of MEXT, Japan’s education ministry, confirmed to The PIE News that based on the proposal, the system would be in place around Autumn 2023. 

“The goal is to keep about 3,000 graduating students a year who were previously returning due to a lack of job opportunities,” i-Graduate director for Asia, Guy Perring, told The PIE. 

“The focus on vocational schools (Senmon Gakko) is due to the gaps in some key areas such as nursing care, machine parts and tooling industries, electronic and Information Industries, automobile and construction.

“In July, PM Fumio Kishida said that citizens in Japan needed to think about a society where we can live together with foreigners,” he continued.

In its article analysing the issue, i-Graduate dubbed MEXT’s efforts to help universities more effectively transition their international students into graduates that can contribute to Japan’s workforce “encouraging” – most notably, The International Student Employment Promotion Education Program Accreditation System. 

“There is a need to replicate this approach at a vocational school level in addition to individual school programs,” Perring said. 

“As in the UK where there are some excellent examples of careers support for international students, Japan needs to look at best practises overseas and how they cater for international students. 

“At present, the careers support in many Japanese institutions will not have the experience or expertise in these areas,” he explained. 

i-Graduate’s insights on filling employment gaps in Japan referenced data from its Student Experience Survey which said 82% of students surveyed viewed post-study work as very important or at least important – and that Japan will benefit from more “explicit opportunities”.

The new guidelines and accreditation system is expected to patch the hole in the system, but no official tandem program like the current one for universities has been announced yet. 

While the Immigration Services Agency is expected to be launching the new accreditation system for vocational schools later this year, the guidelines above have been issued by the Council for the Creation of Future Education – what’s more, the university program for promoting employment for international students is run by MEXT. 

“Citizens in Japan needed to think about a society where we can live together with foreigners”

“Establishing a clear route and pathway to employment is vital. Often messages can become confusing when multiple ministries are involved,” Perring noted. 

While the move is much needed for Japan’s population issues – “a decreasing amount of children” was how Ritsumeikan APU’s dean of academic affairs Serik Meirmanov described the problem in a separate PIE interview – the idea won’t be “celebrated by all parts of the population”. 

“Japan will face the same challenges that other countries face with increasing numbers of international students and foreign workers,” Perring pointed out.

“But it strikes me that the recent policy announcements are actually very novel in the world of higher education where there is a real need for skilled qualified workers in certain areas. 

“Japan is making the first steps to reach out to international students to link them to these job opportunities,” he added.

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